Existing skateboard braking systems rely on actuation systems that involve the use of hands, feet, and/or other body parts. Typically, the hand-actuated braking systems involve the squeezing of the hands or fingers. Foot actuated braking systems require the relocation or repositioning of all or part of one or more feet from one position to a second position on the skateboard. Many of these existing braking systems require the use of specialized skateboard elements such as integrated brake/truck systems, or integrated brake/deck systems.
In snowboarding, the feet are placed within specialized snowboard boots that are typically bound to the snowboard deck by specialized bindings. Even though the snowboard rider's feet are fixed to one position relative to the snowboard deck the snowboard rider is capable of slowing or stopping the snowboard by causing the trailing end and uphill edge of the snowboard to scrape or slide laterally across the snow while making a turn. The snowboard rider presses somewhat harder with the rider's trailing leg, relative to the riders leading leg, to force the trailing end of the snowboard to “fishtail” or slide out from under his body more than the front or leading end of the board. This extra leg pressure on the trailing end is pressed laterally, transversely, or roughly perpendicular to longitudinal axis of the snowboard. This differential leg pressure causes the trailing end of the snowboard to scrape or slide across the snow creating greater friction and resistance to forward momentum, thus slowing the board without having to reposition the location of the feet with respect to the board.
Similarly, surfers manage to quickly redirect their surfboards and slow their motion through the water by “kicking” or pressing hard laterally, transversely or roughly perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the surfboard with the trailing leg, which is on the trailing end of the board as it moves through the water. This redirection and slowing of the surfboard can be accomplished without repositioning the foot on the surfboard. In fact, some surfboards are equipped with special footpads at the trailing end of the board in order to assist the rider and keep his trailing foot in one place when the rider pushes more forcefully with the trailing leg during turning or slowing maneuvers.
Existing skateboard designs may allow enhanced turning characteristics and relatively uncontrolled braking characteristics by applying lateral forces across the deck of the boards. The problem with these existing designs is that they either do not provide the controlled braking/fishtailing response of snowboard riding, or they require highly skilled riding abilities, which may be relatively unsafe, especially when implemented without the use of hand- or foot-actuated braking mechanisms. Strong lateral forces applied to the deck of most common skateboard designs may cause the wheels to slide sideways relative to the plane of the wheels' rotation. While this method of riding tends to slow the skateboard's velocity and enhances the turning characteristics, it does so in such a way that requires the wheels to slide sideways rather than roll across the ground surface, which may be considered unsafe. Other skateboard truck designs provide a given fishtailing effect for a given skateboard turn radius, but application of lateral forces across the deck of the board during these turns do not provide controlled braking responses and tend to reduce the fishtailing response rather than increase the fishtailing response. Decreasing the fishtailing response when extra pressure is applied laterally with the trailing leg conflicts with the desired response, this is one that is more similar to snowboarding, wherein extra trailing leg pressure increases the fishtailing response.
In order to more completely simulate the sensation of the “only-on-command” fishtailing, slowing or stopping action of snowboarding or surfing, what is needed is a skateboard actuation system that, regardless of the skateboard's current radius of curvature, modifies and enhances the turning characteristics and/or implements controlled braking responses only on-command by simply pushing with the legs roughly perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the skateboard deck, such that the skateboard wheels continue rolling in their modified plane of rotation when the actuation system is applied. The fishtailing and/or slowing response of the braking system should both be adjustable to suit the needs and preferences of individual riders. For example, some riders will prefer no enhanced turning response or “fishtailing” when lateral leg forces and brakes are applied. Some riders will prefer a large amount of lateral play at the trailing end of the board when the brakes are applied. Alternatively, some riders will prefer a “fishtailing” response while turning without the application of brakes. Furthermore what is needed is an actuation system that can be adapted to all existing skateboard deck and truck designs such that the only-on-command fishtailing and/or braking responses can be added to the existing characteristics of the riders favorite skateboard design.
Accordingly, what is desired is a system of actuating a skateboard brake and/or steering enhancement system while the board is following a path with any radius of curvature that simulates the slowing, braking or fishtailing motions used in snowboarding or surfing in a safe and controlled manner wherein the wheels continue to roll on the ground surface without sliding sideways. In addition, it is desirable to have a skateboard braking system that can be actuated by increasing the lateral pressure applied by the legs across the deck of the skateboard roughly perpendicular to longitudinal axis of the skateboard deck by the legs without having to reposition the feet relative to the board's deck or use hands to actuate the braking system. In addition, it is desirable to have a braking and/or fishtailing system that does not necessarily alter the riding and steering characteristics of the original board (not equipped with the braking/fishtailing system) so long as some lateral force across the trailing end of the board does not exceed some user-defined threshold force. In other words, the riding sensation, when not intentionally trying to fishtail or brake, should be virtually identical to that sensation of riding the board when it is not equipped with the braking/fishtailing system.